Terraformed Skies

by Anna Lewis

  “Amelia has been taken!” Herman cried over the speaker while also adding some regurgitating sounds. “She’s being transported as we speak!”

  The news inspired the prince to swing his sword harder, lopping Ka’lorian heads left and right while crying out a painful roar. One by one, Ero’an slashed through the giant collection of piggish beasts and made his way to a beaming station in order to reach his love. Up above were the screams of the sweet Amelia, who was ready to retch from the stench of the Ka’lorian beast holding her. He tossed her in an electrical cage and threw a squeaking toy between the bars which she regarded with some curiosity before tossing it back.

  “You will lead the prince to us,” roared the beast outside the cage. “And we will have victory over Degau!”

  The shrieking noise that erupted from the small group pierced Amelia’s ears and she covered them while panic filled her gut. How in the world was she to escape this awful cage? She had no weapons, no experience, and no knowledge of this disgusting species of alien who clearly didn’t bathe. Their beady eyes mocked her from beyond the green laser bars and she scoffed while tossing her purple hair aside. All she had to do was wait for a moment. She wouldn’t give in to their taunting or painful verbal jabs. It was beneath her to be defeated. Didn’t they know who she was? Amelia Stone, the finder of alien species beyond her planet. It didn’t seem like a great deal in the galaxy, but for earth that was a cosmic achievement. Patiently, she sat and waited for her opportunity.

  ***

  It was unclear how long Amelia had been kept in that tight cage, her knees aching now because she was so cramped. When she complained, the Ka’lorian scoffed and waved his stubby arms while tending to something else, poking the companion next to him and informing him to transfer the prisoner to the collection cell. This is my chance, she thought, while preparing her body. I wish I could have stretched! Lamenting the fact that her body wasn’t as limber as she had hoped, she still took the moment to appear absolutely relaxed as the Ka’lorian reached in and took hold of her arm. He pulled her from the cell and shoved her forward, instructing her where to walk while poking her back with his stubby finger. Amelia shuddered, but stuck to her initial plan, which she planned to enact within the next few minutes.

  As soon as the Ka’lorian beast was next to her, she gripped his sword from his belt and wielded it naturally, as if she had done it many times before, waving the blade over his shoulder and taking his head with it. How do I know how to use this? She thought with excitement as she waved the sword around. While lost in her infatuation with this sudden knowledge, another Ka’lorian came to attack her and she met his sword with the one she had stolen.

  “Code twelve! We have a prisoner loose!” he cried as he lunged forward to be met with the glowing blade.

  A maniacal laugh escaped the earthling’s lips as she swung around in circles and danced to the beat of battle. She wasn’t sure how she came to know what this was or how to use it, but she was grateful for the surprising knowledge as it came in waves to her mind.

  “Not bad for a woman, eh?” yelled Amelia as she struck another sword.

  “What’s a woman?” asked the Ka’lorian.

  Huffing, she rolled her eyes and responded, “I am!”

  Another head rolled and another after that, the waltz music returning to her ears from the night before. She raised her arms up and moved about the room, lopping more heads as she twirled about while pretending the prince was holding her and they were dancing. In a matter of minutes, Amelia had most of the crew defeated save for one small Ka’lorian who cowered in the corner.

  “Take me to the controls. I need to be beamed back down,” she demanded while pointing the sword in his direction.

  The frightened beast followed her directions and showed her the control panel, surprisingly similar to the ship Ero’an had used to transport her from Earth. She started to demand his compliance, but stopped when the knowledge flooded her brain. As she pressed buttons, the platform in the corner began to whirl and the mirrored room appeared for her to be transferred. She saw no use for this beast any longer, so she slashed his neck and watched his head roll over to the corner where the mirrors had appeared.

  To her surprise, Ero’an appeared in the space and stood with his hands pressed to his hips as he studied the scene. Ka’lorian heads and bodies were strewn about, a thick ooze coating the floor and staining Amelia’s boots. She held the sword up towards him, but yielded when she realized who it was and tossed it aside.

  “Ero’an!” she cried.

  “What mess have you made, woman!” he asked with a smirk on his face.

  “At least you know I am a woman,” she said while running to him.

  Catching her in his arms, he held her up by her butt and rubbed his nose into hers.

  “And who would not know that?” he asked curiously.

  “These creatures,” she responded while gesturing wildly. “They had no idea what I was!”

  “They’re not the smartest,” commented the prince.

  “I couldn’t tell,” she said while chuckling.

  The reunited couple embraced each other and kiss, their celebration interrupted by rapid fire coming from below. No one was manning the ship and it was beginning to make its decent towards the surface of Degau. Realizing they were being shot at by their own soldiers, Ero’an took hold of the controls and yelled over his radio for them to cease fire. Panicking, Amelia tried the controls for the beamer and began setting up their transfer until the whirling abruptly stopped. The light for the control beeped rhythmically under her fingers while she pressed it repeatedly, groaning with frustration when it wouldn’t start.

  “What does blinking mean?” she asked as the ship plummeted faster to the ground.

  “How should I know?” snapped the prince while pressing other buttons.

  “Don’t you know how to fly these things?!” she cried.

  “Some of these controls are different, you know,” said the prince.

  “Now isn’t really the time for your pride to make an appearance, Ero’an. We need to do something fast. Isn’t there manual on this ship?” Amelia asked while bracing herself against a seat.

  “There must be a booklet somewhere,” said Ero’an, eyes darting around.

  “Not a manual! Manual as in we can manually drive the ship, you twit!” yelled Amelia.

  As the ship fell rapidly from the atmosphere, and the two lovers yelled, Amelia pressed a few more buttons and took hold of the lever that apparently controlled the ship. She pulled it back and they belly of the ship hit the ground, slamming them down as it skidded to a halt in the fields. Flower bulbs were scattered everywhere as the couple collected themselves from the metal ground of the cockpit, brushing each other off and coughing from the fumes emitted during their crash. Stumbling, they made their way from the rubble to encounter a slew of soldiers surrounding them with ray guns.

  ***

  “Stand down!” yelled the prince as the soldiers began to apologize. “Would you kill your prince?”

  Amelia shook her head and began to laugh, the shock wearing off and leading her into the more comical side of her rescue. While Ero’an had done well to appear, she was the one who had led them to safety and, in a sense, had been the rescuer. Never had she imagined herself a heroine in any of the worlds she saw herself on, but here, she was one. Ero’an wrapped an arm around her as the soldiers applauded their appearance, helping them each from the rubble around them.

  “Behold, my savior,” said Ero’an while presenting her to the king and queen who came out to greet them. “My beautiful bride and savior.”

  “Bride?!” yelled Amelia with wide eyes.

  “Will you do me that honor, darling earth woman who has captured my heart?” asked the kneeling prince.

  Gasps rippled through the crowd of soldiers as they awaited Amelia’s response, her eyes only growing wider at the embarrassment she was suffering. She nodded immediately and accepted his kiss while smiling
, tears falling freely from her eyes that were doomed to remain wide open in perpetual shock. How had they come to this? And what would it mean? She hadn’t bothered to check in with her home planet, but that smile only pulled her in harder. While studying the features of his face, she became light-headed and fell backwards against the soft and bulbous flowers. Ero’an shook his head and turned to Herman who was scraping stray petals from his skin.

  “It appears I must get us a cushion to carry for her,” commented Ero’an while shaking his head. “I don’t understand why she keeps doing that.”

  “Perhaps it’s the atmosphere, sir,” said Herman while poking his leg. “Here, she loves these particular flowers.”

  Ero’an collected the little bouquet from Herman and then lifted his new bride to carry her into the castle, hoping perhaps rest will do her well. On the way, his parents followed and spoke with the young prince about his future.

  “We absolutely approve of your decision, dear,” said his mother while admiring the sleeping Amelia. “She will do so well to protect our planet.”

  “Indeed. She is quite a spirited earthling. Strong and passionate like us Degaurians,” said the king.

  “Thank you. I can’t tell you how much this means. She’s been so wonderful,” said Ero’an when they reached his room.

  “We’ll make the arrangements for your wedding,” said his mother.

  “Thank you, Mother,” Ero’an responded with genuine gratefulness, his heart fluttering and giving way to astonishing emotions that he had never before encountered.

  After his parents left them, Ero’an laid Amelia out on the bed and admired her peaceful features. Her chest rose and fell in a regular breathing pattern that inspired him to sigh, stroking her neck as she slept. The war outside had ended and now he could sleep at night knowing that his people were safe. If ever they should need to war again, he knew he had a strong princess at his side who was more than capable of defeating evil species from all over the galaxy. Her strength inspired him to do more, to be better. It was enough to make his heart swell and expand, allowing room for the endless possibilities of love.

  Ero’an stretched out next to her after removing his armor. He continued to admire her face, the image of her lips enough to arouse him. She opened her eyes as he thought this and he blushed with embarrassment, prompting her to question his suddenly flushed face.

  “You turn me on,” he said while nuzzling her neck with his nose. “That’s all.”

  The compliment caused Amelia to smile and she kissed him, running her hands over his bare back and shivering with excitement at the feeling of him nude. She eyed his body and then plunged down the bed to his erect member which twitched in response to her mouth enveloping it. Sliding her tongue over his shaft, she gripped the head with her lips and sucked dutifully, lingering briefly underneath the head and dipping back down to take the entirety of him in her mouth.

  “Oh, darling, please,” he whispered with his hand pressed to the back of her head. “Let me ravish you.”

  “Yes, dear,” replied Amelia as she came up to greet his lips.

  While dueling tongues, she lowered her body gently over his wand and bounced, her hips shaking against his thighs as she rode him like the beast in the fields. Their bodies met heavily with each bounce, the surface of their skin tingling with every touch and kiss. Mouths hung open in ecstasy as she rolled over his body in long strides to cloak every bit of his wand that was begging to burst. Sitting up, she grasped his shoulders and hypnotized him with her gray eyes, the stars inside them twinkling with pleasure and deviance. Focused totally on her, he gripped her hips to help her grind which inspired their moans to grow louder. He kissed the slender column of her throat, tracing her back with his fingernails and pumping hard into her silky insides.

  The sight that joined their heated flesh because increasingly sensitive, her bud blossoming over his tool and tingling with every bounce. Legs entangled, he kneaded into her bosom with his hand and gripped her back with the other to steady her grinding. Their frenzied race to fulfillment was near completion as their moans climaxed, their bodies stiffening beneath the weight of pleasure. Molten waves of bliss suddenly flooded their bodies and they each took turns crying out while gripping each other, their achievement evident. With happy gasps, they fell over on the bed without separating, too wrapped up in the blissful moment to part. Sunlight filtered through the glass and illuminated their sweating forms, which were now fused as one.

  ***

  Some weeks after the wondrous victory of the Degaurians, Amelia was out in the field teaching the young people of the planet how to fight with a sword. Her class was mixed with men and women who ranged in age, all of them admiring her as the new princess who had come to save them from the dreadful Ka’lorians. Her hair had faded from purple to blonde, but her beloved prince promised to make a run to Earth soon in order to retrieve the proper supplies to uphold her beautiful image.

  “No matter what,” said Ero’an. “I still think you’re beautiful.”

  The compliment made her flush with endorphins, as she imagined the fun they would have later on when they got back to their bedroom. As she helped a woman gain balance with the sword, she felt something stirring in her gut that made her ill. Nausea swept over her body in cold waves, making her sweat suddenly from the dizziness it was causing. Noticing her discomfort, the woman took her hand and asked if she was alright, to which Amelia responded that she wasn’t sure.

  “Perhaps you are tired from the exchange. We will fetch you some water,” said the woman while helping her sit.

  As the other students ran off to get Amelia some water, she cried out in pain and leaned her head into the bosom of the woman. She gripped her hand, yelling that someone should fetch the prince and take her to the doctor inside the castle. The woman gasped and placed her hand on Amelia’s stomach, which seemed to be vibrating beneath the skin.

  “Send for the prince!” she cried while helping Amelia stand.

  “No, I must sit,” begged Amelia while pulling the woman down.

  “Your majesty, you are in labor,” said the woman. “We have to get you inside before--”

  “Labor?!” cried Amelia while yanking the woman’s arm. “How is that possible?!”

  “Well, you and prince went to bed, I presume, and you--”

  “Not that! How did it happen so soon?” asked the confused princess.

  “Our gestational period is very brief, only a matter of weeks for a typical Degaurian pregnancy. The babies are small, but grow quickly because of--”

  “Never mind that. Get me inside. I feel a breech or something...”

  What was the proper terminology? Amelia had no clue. She only knew that the pain was infinitely stronger than menstruation and it made her knees buckle. Feeling queasy, she doubled over and vomited all over the ground, blue goo oozing over the soil. The flustered prince came running from the gates and helped his princess over the bridge to the infirmary where a doctor waited for them with a smile on his face.

  “Ah, we are to welcome a lovely little prince into the world, eh?” asked the doctor while helping Amelia up on the chair.

  “Don’t talk. Just...get it out,” said Amelia as she propped her legs up in the stirrups. “Oh, no, I’m not even prepared for this. Ero’an!”

  “Yes, my love?” he asked, rubbing her arm.

  “How do I do this?” Amelia asked while tearing up.

  “You’re doing wonderfully. Just keep breathing and we’ll get you through the whole thing,” said Ero’an as the doctor sat in his chair.

  Underneath her legs was a bucket filled with some kind of water, or a thin, clear goo, which was used to transition newborns into the world of the Degaurians. Looking down, Amelia gasped.

  “Is that where it’s going to fall?” she asked Ero’an.

  “Yes, dear. That’s how it’s done,” he replied.

  “But its head,” she said.

  “What head?” asked the doctor and Ero’an in
unison.

  Looking between them both, Amelia groaned and cried out again as the labor pains took hold once more, signaling for her to begin pushing. She huffed as she began to push the form out of her body, the limbs feeling extra slippery and slimy which confused her as well as comforted her. Squishy isn’t terrible, she thought. And as long as it doesn’t have tentacles I’m fine. Another wave of pain crashed over her stomach and she screamed, pushing harder than she ever had in her life. The prince remained at her side throughout the ordeal, whispering all manner of encouragements even as they were met with snappy responses and apologies. Rubbing her head, he asked the nurse for warm towels and she obliged, laying them over Amelia’s stomach. It calmed her for a moment and Amelia thanked the nurse, still squeezing Ero’an’s head as more contractions came barreling over her body.

  “I see something here,” said the doctor.

  Another push sent the form flying from her body and landing in the bucket below with a gentle plop. Gasping with relief, Amelia turned to Ero’an to ask what she had just birthed and how in the world that liquid gel helped with the transition. The question left them both as they heard the beginning sounds of crying and then began to weep with joy. Raising up the supple creature, Amelia was met with another wave of relief as she was handed a baby girl with little gills in her neck and no tentacles.

  “No tentacles,” she sighed.

  “Pardon?” asked the doctor.

  “Nothing,” she said quickly while wiping the little girl’s face.

  “She’s beautiful,” Ero’an said as he leaned into his wife. “You did an amazing job. What shall we call her?”

  Amelia thought for a moment and met his cheek with a kiss.